大象传媒

Is this the Ed Balls who said 'Who cares?' about the tax burden on British families that the NuLab government has given to us?

Sorry - allegedly, though he denied it, despite it being fairly clear to all who heard it!

I hope he loses his seat at the general election the freeloading Brown lover.

The best thing the Lib dems and the Tories can do now is sit on their hands and watch Labour punch it's own lights out.

In common with any party too long in power (a sure sign when they'd rather fight with themselves than other parties) - the daggers are really coming out.

I expect to see a lot of political bloodshed before the next election.

Ed ("who cares?") Balls is doing alright so why should he worry about the tax burden on everybody else? Losing his seat would be a start, but I doubt he'd lose much else. I've always said, there's no such thing as a failed politician.

We need Brown and Balls to come out and say more to allow them to dig an ever deeper home.

No matter, they are finished.

Ed Balls is well qualified to make these remarks. After all, he spent 10 years briefing against a Prime Minister, cheapening his office, settling old scores and acting dishonourably.

And he has the audacity to warn "his" party?

Ed Balls has clearly never heard the dictum "when you're in a whole, stop digging".

After his "who cares" sneer no-one outside the Westminster village has any respect for him. Whereas Frank Field does have the respect of the ordinary voter.

Personally I'm about neutral from the tax changes but most of my neighbours are on well less than national average pay and it's really hitting them, together with the increases in petrol and fuel to say nothing of food price inflation at nearly 20%

Mr Balls also has selective amnesia, from his comments. Cutting IHT and the standard rate at the expense of the working poor was a deliberate act opf politics, not some example of the law of unintended consequences. It was intended to get hedalines in the Mail and Express, and to play well with the roughly 5000 swing voters in each of 50 marginal constituencies that Labour is inordinately fond of, for reasons of elctoral arithmetic.

The trouble for New Labour is that people aren't as selfish as they assume, and even the well off can see the unfairness of doubling the 10p tax band now it's been pointed out to them.

The hole is getting deeper, Mr Balls!

They are in parliament to SERVE us! We expect competent and fair management of the country. Fail and they are out of work (unlike the civil servants who actually run our country!)

Ed Balls again to the resque... what a pitiful man he is, Im afriad this shallow man is my local MP for wakefield, and in my opinion is a total waste of time. As far as im concerned he can take himself and his Fabian CLAN, and go where the sun doesnt shine!

Time is up and the sheer arrogance of these ministers of Brown are doing nothing but trying to save their own backsides!

Bring out the knives, lets see the back-benchers do us some justice, not bow down to the political agenda of these idiots.

The next few months will fill me with such joy, because they all know between their own they are finished.

Sorry "So What" I say go climb back under that rock your tried to crawl out of!

"So what?" was Ed Balls comment and I heard it PMQs. He said it loud and clear.

Any words of explanation of prime ministerial dihering or incopetence should be met with the same riposte; so what?

I'm loving this. Wish I was a fly on the wall in the Balls house. Coat-tail grabbing Ed must be squirming at the propsect that maybe he's backed the wrong horse after all. But he's got no alternative but to carry on doggedly supporting Gordon because he's burnt his bridges everywhere else.

Schadenfruede, pure delicious schadenfruede.

Ed Balls has been discredited for years, more so since his comment referred to in #1 above. The only man who can save Gordon now is Tony Blair. Lord Blair of Cockup, Minister Without Portfolio?

Frank Field's intentions have always been honorable: it is to get a fair deal for people on low incomes who have been clobbered time and time again and for whom the abolition of the 10p rate by Brown and Balls was the last straw.

The Crewe election result will not make Gordon go.Only a fool would want to stand for PM. They are sure to lose the next general election.So they will just muddle on to the bitter end and hope for the wind to change.

No time for Ed balls at all after that outburst during Cameron's speech.

I saw the video and he did say 'so what' when Cameron was talking about the tax burden on ppl.

Can you trust the opinions of a man that says stuff like that to a serious issue.

Fields is new labour and I do not trust him - but I would trust his opinions more than Ed Balls any day.

It appears the long knifes have started to be drawn.


(Note.. You can find the ed balls footage in plenty of places on the net - so you can check it for yourself)

Ed Balls is the second one to suggest that Frank Field caring about the low paid is diloyal to Brown,Dawn Butler said as much on the daily politics show.Whatever Field's motives are at least he broke ranks with the nodding dogs in the labour party who were prepared to ignore the low paid to save their leaders embarrassment over his 10p balls up.How someone who switches around their primary residence so they can claim more allowances can call anyone else dishonourable is beyond me.

To hear Ed Balls implying that Field might be less than honourable - -

Bit like hearing Arthur Daley or Del Boy Trotter impugning the integrity of Mother Theresa.

Frank Field was despatched from the Labour front benches when he dared to speak out about the raid on pensions during Labour's first term.

An honorable MP who must be looking around his parliamentry colleagues in bewilderment.

......which one is the "Nasty Party" ?

Its interesting to see the caring conservatives so concerned about the 10p tax rate. Its a shame they dont want to bring it back though.

I suppose if the Conservatives win the next election, the poor will have to wait for the mythical trickle down effect again, which only seems to appear when they are voted out of government. That way they can take credit.

this phony concern is about undermining the labour vote. Conservatives are only interested in their own kind.

Apathy is the main party in this country.

"It is now clear that nothing we do will persuade Frank". Last time I heard that old trick used it was France rather than Frank, and it was an excuse for giving up on the UN and invading Iraq. It was balls then and it's Balls now.

Could you explain why Frank Field was sacked nine years or so ago? I remember thinking it was a shame, at the time, but can't remember why.

Of course Balls is defending Brown. If he considers himself a serious leadership challenger (!), he's going to back Brown to the hilt - the last thing he would want is Brown going BEFORE the election, so that, as his successor, he would simply be the captain of the Titanic.

Balls is despicable.

I'm no fan of Frank Field's kind of social policies, but he is one of the Commons' most considerate and thoughtful politicians. To have a guttersnipe like Balls attempt to sully his integrity is breathtaking.

I hope that when the rotten hulk of Nu Labour finally sinks, Balls goes down chained to his surly master.

When Brown is deposed/resigns Labour will be searching for a candidate
with the following qualities
- Leadership credentials with national and international credibility,
-Untarnished by the years of Brown/Blair incompetence,
- Close association with traditional Labour values
- Able to mobilize the ordinary Labour voter,
- Strong reputation in London and South East England,
- Colourful and charismatic personality,
- A tough fighter unafraid of any senior Labour politician or the Tories,
-Media savvy and experienced in forging visionary coalitions;
-Strong position against the Iraq war,
- Embraced and fostered the racial, religious and cultural diversity of 21st Century Britain.

Step forward Ken Livingstone.

The safest job in Britain today is Ken's gardener.

Ed Who Cares Balls is a loathsome creature , whose own expenses discredit him.
Frank Field appears to be an honourable man of the old school.

Of all the New Labour lot Ed Balls is the one I really cannot stand.

Mr Balls:

My kids are the most important people in the world to me.

They are not resources for you to allocate and so improve the educational outcomes of society. Sorry mate. You know where you can shove your social engineering.

This will probably get cut but I couldn't resist :-


Hey Ed your up to your Balls in the brown stuff !

:)

Is it just me but when somebody like Ed Balls talks about "listening" I expect it to be followed up with "let them eat cake" in the meantime?

They introduce the 10P tax change and THEN think about it!

Maybe New Labour should be New Listening Labour and change their logo to a Faberge egg. It would be something to demonstrate how connected they are to the people and how they are really really listening.

Not.

Frank Field voices his opinion so what.

Is it not a democracy we live in or does this not apply to MP's who are unlike Ed Balls supposed to speak up for the electorate and not put the party first.

Ed Balls is simply after a better job, well Mr Balls, I'm sure you will have more than enough opportunity in 2 years when you and your pathetic government are thrown into the just deserved wilderness for the next century.

Is there something about MPs, that once they get elected, they have their brain removed?

The primary support of any MP is to their constituents - not their party.

Ed Balls is the complete opposite. Sorry, no, he doesn't even display loyalty to his party, or at least what Labour should stand for.

Having Balls riding to the rescue shows just how desperate things are becoming.

As a previous poster mentioned, all the Tories and Lib Dems need to do is sit back and enjoy the show.

When will the dullards who run Labour realise that the party desperately needs more MPs like Frank Field to restore some honesty and integrity?

And what they definitely do NOT need are more loud, obnoxious, self-serving characters like Ed Balls.

My comment No24 read:

Balls is despicable.

I'm no fan of Frank Field's kind of social policies, but he is one of the Commons' most considerate and thoughtful politicians. To have a like Balls attempt to sully his integrity is breathtaking.

I hope that when the rotten hulk of Nu Labour finally sinks, Balls goes down chained to his surly master.


: the offending was not an obscenity. Having to mask it like a criminal may make it appear so. Not that Balls is not a worthy and justified target of obscenities....

Is there the slightest danger of anyone Governing this country? School child pranks and spats from grown supposedly mature and serious people.

I have visitors from overseas soon and I was embarrassed for THEM whilst visiting their country and a small political scandal.

It was sorted before I left - he went on "sick leave" but this looks like it is due for a long run - Whitehall farces - without Brian Rix and Elsbeth Grey (was it?)unfortunately.

At least their productions had laughs and trousers were dropped on purpose. Can someone govern us again soon?

Or at least hand in a few sick notes!

I don't think Ed Balls is in any position to lecture anyone about loyalty to the party leader.

Ed Balls and his Missus Yvette Cooper are to me everything that is wrong with our government - self minded, career sycophants who's only talents appear to be reading and repeating the Gordon line briefing notes and saying "yes Gordon". How can a government function with people like these in it? Hopefully they will both be dumped at the next general election. I'm not sure companies will be queuing up to employ them either.

Frank Field is certainly an original thinker, even if you odn't agree with him. Mr and Mrs Balls have never displayed even the basic intelligence necessary for thought.

Goodness me, They're all coming out from the woodwork now ! Firstly Mrs. Blair - I cant be the only one who thinks she hasn't been at the races for quite some time - who says her husband was frightened by Gordon Brown "rattling the keys of No. 10 over his head" - what the Hell does that mean? - was he threatening to drop them on Tony's head from the roof ? - and if it's some crazy way of saying he badgered him, it begs the question of whether a man who is frightened and stressed out by a bit of badgering is in any fit state to run the country. Then Mr. Prescott - surely not so weighed down by moral scruples that he cant walk upright - who thinks Gordon is a bit of a dubious character and, of course, Lord Levy who believes that Gordon isn't acting like a PM should - does that mean that he doesn't much like toadying to slimey rich creeps that Levy wants to introduce to him to extract money for party funds from ? With that lot unloading their innermost souls to the Sunday papers, Gordon doesn't really need enemies does he ? I've never been a believer in conspiracy theories - but I'm beginning to wonder.

Nick

I think one of the most telling points in the "load of Balls" was,

If, Mr Balls said, the credit crunch's impact on family finances had been anticipated, "different decisions would have been taken" - remember that it was in the PBR that hundreds of millions of pounds were found to cut inheritance tax rather than to alleviate the impact of the 10p tax rate abolition

So it was a conscious decision to load the tax burden on to the poor, so that Labour could continue to help the rich. They obviously hopped that no one would notice. Everyone but the muppets behind Brown on budget day noticed, but they are now blaming the credit crunch.

Families getting poorer, "WHO CARES" Balls obviously does not.

Frank Field may have a spiky personality but he probably can be forgiven for that given the company surrounding him. Fiercely intelligent and relentlessly methodical there can be few, if any, politician who have studied and researched welfare systems to the extent of Frank Field.

But 'so what' as some would say.

The past two weeks have hurt NuLab way more than even they realise. The only thing saving them has been the clear unreadiness of the Tories- The worse things get economically the better the Tories look.
Brown blew his first chance with his 'secret deal' with Blair, he blew it a second time by not going to the polls early when he had the chance. Now no one likes a PM without mandate and at this point it's gonna take an unprecedented amount of work for Brown to get a third chance.

'One of Gordon Brown's closest allies has suggested rebel Labour MP Frank Field is a loner acting dishonourably in his criticism of the prime minister'

Alright then Eddie and Gord, try the population to see if we are all deluded loners in our criticism of the PM.

No mandate to rule, no election. Call this democracy?

Shoot the messenger!!!

Frank Field has given us all a very important heads up as to the state of mind of our PM.

Frankie says... you're a nutter Gordon.

#20 dhwilkinson - absolutely right.
Labour have to unite around Brown. The alternative is a Tory government - perhaps for a generation. Labour are doing everything to lose the next election. Balls is an ultra-loyalist so is easily dis-credited. Straw, Kelly, the Millibands, Purnell, Hutton, Denham et al - get out in the media and talk up Brown.
Yes it is spin and tactical but to quote Ed Balls (no doubt to the delight of the loony right on this blog) "so what".
Spin is what Cameron is truly exceptional at. This is the only sensible course of action. Back your leader or lose your job - ask John Major's Cabinet if I am right.

大象传媒 censors at it again eh?

Shoot the messenger!!!

Frank Field has given us all an important heads up regarding the PMs state of mind.

Frankie says... Gordon's not all there.

Peteholly

Am I a 'loony right' for pointing out the man is deluded if he thinks the population is not suffering because of this government's fiscal policy?
And to suggest Cameron is spin compared to NuLab is just pitiful - Blair and Brown spun for 10 years. Very little was delivered for what was taken out. It's a shame that Brown is not able to continue this as the stack of cards is tumbling down around him.

Yes it is spin and tactical but to quote Ed Balls (no doubt to the delight of the loony right on this blog) "so what".
Spin is what Cameron is truly exceptional at.

12 May 2008, peteholly wrote..

Spin>?

Sorry i actually heard him say "so what" then say it wasnt what he said...lol

Whos spinning here you or me?
and BTW im not no conservative, our democracy has gone to the dogs, feel happy about it!

I sure dont, add a few, fabian societies,
then add a bank run, times globilisation, then a illegal war, and corruption, greed, and capitalism the global poverty, multiply that with high living costs! = yeah we are getting annoyed!

I dont really care about the tories, I would never vote for them, slime always stays stagment, I want a change ANYTHING must be better that them in charge!, atleast with slime, u know how fast your sinking!

with labour ur spinning in slime, before you sink!

Well there you go then. When you have a smarmy, arrogant, reptilain slime-ball like Ed Balls backing you up in public you are doomed.

It seems to me that all the ones that back Brown are all the ones that get on the public's nerves or are a joke or both:

Ed Balls
Harriet Harmann
Yvette Cooper
Hazel Blears
Alan Johnson
Ed Miliband
David Miliband
Alistair Darling

Worthless individuals to a man/woman that cost Labour votes every time they appear in public.

I was 18 in 1976. I voted Labour at every opportunity until finally Iraq stopped me. You are a disgrace to the Labour movement and if my union doesn't stop funding you I'll be chucking them as well.

You are no different to the tories and if I wanted a tory government I'd have voted for one.

Move back to the left and start being a socialist party as opposed to a conservative one.

As far as I am concerned, Gordon Brown is personally responsible for the problems with pensions and personal savings. I have an underfunded, wound-up, company pension plan and an Equitable Life pension plan, both seriously affected by the change in pension taxation rules in 1997 (and poor regulation in the Equitable Life case).
His denial of responsibility will cost him many votes (over one million Equitable Life members to start with).

It really is about time someone put Ed Balls firmly in his place. Jeremy Paxman springs to mind.

Head Balls is a born survivor (leech?) and soon you will see him supporting the next PM come the revolution.

Changing one leader before a General Election is plausible, but to loose two would be rather, er, interesting!

(Useless) Tories or New (Improved) Labour? Summer time fun is here!

Obviously anyone who dares to criticise the great leader must be mad or bad - we had better be careful he doesn't explode like a volcano again - although imploding like a hot air balloon looks the more likely.

I do have respect for Frank Field but I think he bottled out at the last minute when he withdrew his amendment. Brown's promise to look at measures to help (mostly) pensioners was nowhere near enough and I don't understand why Frank accepted that. Perhaps he regrets it himself as it seems he is back to square one. The obvious solution is to raise personal allowances for people (like me) on a low income.

But then, Gordon Brown and Mr Balls seem to have a deep distrust of simple solutions. They have to have an enquiry first to propose 10 possible options, a green paper to 'consult' on, followed by review, a white paper and a debate in the House of Commons and then some wheeze which means it will only be implemented if he wins the next election and then it will be staggered over a five year period.

Balls losing his seat at the next GE is going to be the 'Portillo Moment' of 2010 and I for one can't wait!

Frank Field is a nobody and a lefty that New Labour does no want. Field is the person related to the same kind of people like Dennis Healey, the person that pushed us over the edge and taxed at 92% until the pip squeaked.
Frank Field and comrades, why do you not organise yourselves into a Communist Party and see if you will be noticed. Labour should do us a favour and take the whip off this person, whose only aim and ambition is to steer Labour to the left.

> If, Mr Balls said, the credit crunch's impact on
> family finances had been anticipated,

and what did he say about the crunch's impact on hard working family finances?

"So what" or was it "So weak"

either way he didn't give a stuff about family finances a few weeks ago. I wonder why he's not walking around Crewe shouting "So what" at people if they mention the 10p tax fiasco, waving his expense account at them like some Labour alternative to a Loads-A-Money character

anything this snake says I see as a way of keeping him and his equally useless wife on the 拢600,000 a year expenses gravy train

I love irony - but the prospect of somebody as deceiptful, arrogant and opportunist as Ed 'so what' Balls lecturing Frank Field on acting 'honorably' is just too much. The kind of energy he expended on destabilising Tony Blair by encouraging back bench unrest is now being used to fuel this monumental act of hypocrisy. An utter scumbag!

In response to the very first post.

Ed Balls did not say "Who Cares" he, allegedly said "So What", although I should point out that Hansard recored his remark (as Balls himself claimed) as "So Weak", in reference to the Tory argument.

Just for balance you understand :)

Well if Ed Balls is slating Frank Field, it's good news for Frank Field I'd say.

Ed Balls has taken some stick on this blog.

It is only fair to point out that Ed (and wife Yvette Cooper) are apparently sticking to their principles in one respect ... two of their children are continuing to attend a Primary School that is officially '鈥渇ailing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education鈥�.

I am sure it will not be failing for very long.

One can recall the London Oratory was a bit strapped for cash and was about to write a begging letter to the parents, who included one T. Blair.

That of course, was not necessary as 拢100,000 was 'found' ... problem solved for the Oratory.

It is amazing how often the little parable of Animal Farm repeats itself, especially when Labour is in power.

The Tories are much more up front about it - which could be crudely paraphased as "grab it while you can and stuff everyone else".

Ed balls has got some serious cheek. That this pompous, bilious individual is allowed to surface before the public eye is proof enough of Labours imminent demise.

I, for one, absolutely relish this. The sun is shining, the birds are a calling and Labour is self destructing.

One thing that does annoy me a little; The stubborn refusal of the media the accept that it is not just the 10p tax rate. I would not vote for this mendacious government if you held a gun to my head, well maybe I might, but if it goes that far who can say?

Listen Gordon, it's the way Labour has dismantled the checks and balances that hold the states power at bay. It's the ID cards, it's about fingerprinting school children, spying on us with microphones and cameras. It's about wanting to chip us, both in our cars and upon our persons. It's about the cold hand of the state punishing the poeple for petty non-offenses. It's about the childrens database that is nothing but a devious way to implement control and pry into the private lives of the people. A sacred place where the state has absolutely NO PLACE and NO RIGHT to be. It's about the lies told to take us into a war, the lies told about the machination of the EU. You can take your Hegemony and you can keep it old boy. It's about the, insane and dubiously intentioned mass immigration that has occured, it's about what passes for education in school, it's about the pension grab, the debt and the criminally high house prices, the list is so long!(i'll stop there ;)) but; *draws breath* most of all it's about the complete contempt that Labour has shown towards the people of this land.

Could it simply be that Brown just does not have the personality or skill set to be PM no matter what he does. Why should it be assumed because he was a good Chancellor (although that's debateable) he would make a good PM. The Finance Director of a firm doesn't automatically make a good MD.

Also Nick - why did you laugh at that sick joke on Have I Got News last Friday. The one about Brian Blessed's wife being found in a sound prrof dungeon etc. Given that the actual people who had to actually live in such a condition - not by choice - are still only beginning to start trying to recover. We can't begin to comprehend what they will suffer as they rebuild their lives.

It was disgustingly inappropriate. I'm all for free speech but I would have thought the suffering of those people was totally off limits. It would seem reasonable that basic humanity would see that the topic was not fit for comedy. Yet you and Ian Hislop sat there and laughed heartily - shame on you.

Why no joke about the deaths in Burma while you were at it.

Excellent news to see Comrade Balls up there supporting the fearless leader.

My own affiliations are conservative (small c) / libertarian but even I can see that when the Labour party gives tax breaks to the many and lands the cost on the very poorest they have lost their way. 拢5/week one way or the other won't even register on my household budgets, but for many of the poorest workers this makes an appreciable difference.

For Comrade Balls to be either so oblivious or uncaring of this basic fact, while at the same time claiming Frank Field is somehow dishonourable for sticking to his principles, shows just what a shape-shifting mercenary he has become.

I have always dreaded the Labour party for its socialist leanings, and honestly never thought I would see the day when it betrayed the lowest paid along with the rest of the country.

Just seen NR on News at Ten, lead story Chinese earthquake possible 250,000 dead. Story following NR about Burmese cyclone easily 100,000 dead. NR in what can only be described as a cynical attempt to engender some interest or enthusiasm talks of the 10p tax issue as a disaster, calling a political disaster does not justify it. (And before you jump to conclusions I'm one of the ones loosing out, but ITS NOT A DISASTER). Shame on you 大象传媒, Shame on you NR.

#54 - my humble apologies!

You are correct of course he said 'So what?'

But in my brain I translated that as 'who cares?' which is effectively what I interpreted it as what he was suggesting.

It definitely was So what and not So weak though, but I am a little surprised the mods allowed my clearly incorrect quote to go through allegedly!

Unfortunately for Balls and fatally for Brown, they are now discovering the historical lesson that it's considerably easier to start discontent in the party (to get rid of Blair) than it is to turn it off again when it's served your purpose.

After engineering Blair's exit and his subsequent coronation, Brown had to be great, unfortunately he's been a huge anti climax, changing little of note, but what he has changed has been almost comically ill considered. The old left of the party hated Blair with a passion, so what does Gordon do to get them on side? removes the 10p tax band after increasing inheritance tax thresholds, you really couldn't make that up.

Blair may have been unpopular (and considering the press Blair was getting at the end his approval ratings were pretty good for a ten year incumbent), but history will show that Brown lost the election after 3 straight Blair successes.

So Gordon, as ye sow so shall ye reap?

The best scenario for the immediate future of England and its people, is for Bottler Brown to be pushed out and Ed (So what?) Balls to be squeezed in as a temporary Labour Party leader鈥� and it would literally be a squeeze.

Along with his equally grasping wife, Yvette Cooper, their presence would guarantee that we see the back of this redundant government.

Maybe Mr Balls can also explain to all those disabled people who cannot work why this Labour Government is about to cut their benefits? Or is that another "so what"?

Yes it will happen under the disguise of the new rules due to be introduced in the Autumn. It will affect new claimants first but existing claimants will suffer reductions eventually (probably 2009).

Why is this Labour Government constantly attacking the poorest in society?

Maybe if they concentrated their minds on what is really affecting the country (and their support) rather than squabbling like children we might get some decent comments/actions from "ministers" who should know better.

Ever since Gordon Brown was Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls was his shadow, they were joined together at the feet. Remember the old Heseltine quip, "its not Brown, it's Balls". If you scratch Brown, Balls bleeds and by this account it hurts.

It is interesting to note the difference between Frank Field and "the Balls family" with regard to the way they Serve. F.F. has the integrity to say things as he sees it, who was "spinning and leaking against Blair"; could you tell us who your contacts were at that time NR?
The Balls allegedly claimed 拢44,000 jointly in allowances to fund their 拢438,000 mortgage under the Commons Additional Costs Allowance. This is despite both spouses working in London full-time and their children attending local London schools. Some second home paid for by us.

The defining measure of this Government is that it knows how to pluck the hard working taxpaying classes, it has proved to be utterly useless at the careful management of that money so has to keep coming back for more. The bowl is now emply when they really need to pump money into the economy and don't have it.
Ten wasted years, proving that Ed Balls' "post neoclassical endogenous growth theory" is nothing but a sharade.

"So what?"

It's funny how people heard Ed Balls say both 'Who cares?' AND 'So what!'!
I saw that exchange and I couldn't make out what he said.

Nick,

Ed Balls appears to be making a bid for power. Does this mean that it is all over for Gordon? Having made this observation, I cannot help but wonder if Balls gets power, is it all over for the UK?

All the best.

If it is taking so long to find a solution to the 10p tax rate fiasco,how come the treasury can alter the rules for overpaid footballers so they will not pay tax if the champions league final is played at wembley inless than a month?Could it be that regardless of costs or anything else the cabinet will enjoy the free seats they will get?

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Frank Field is that rare thing, a Labour politician with some honour, worthy of public respect. He also has principles. Ed Balls, on the other hand, is a graceless scheming career politician and hatchet man. His fall, when it comes, will hopefully be from a great height.

Although I dont agree with Frank F's usual left wing position I do applaud him for his stance and staying true to his roots. But how on earth could PM, govt, treasury or labour party not see the truth of the 10% band issue until a year after it was mooted? Tory, lib dem and any of us that glance at budgets could see this being an issue.

They need to fix it and as long as it is only promises in the air I dont expect the Lab party to have a reversal of fortune. we live in cynical times which means promises to sort it are not believed until the individual gets it back in their payslip. doing something that helps the average person is not good enough it means some of the poorest will still be poorer as a result of a "tax cut".

I agree with iamntanja (#50) Ed's smug smile may fade... but please 大象传媒 dont give him a TV presenting post

Can anyone help? How did Brown and his sidekick (Dick Dastardley and Mutley?) manage to convince the media and the public at large that they are intellectuals? Everything that they say and everything that they do would suggest otherwise.

Post # 72 Scotorummalleus.
Hope the following helps though, in this case, I'm more sure of the lack of ability than the existence of inteligence.

"Intelligence is quickness to apprehend as distinct from ability, which is capacity to act wisely on the thing apprehended."

Alfred North Whitehead in 1939

Balls disparaging Field on the grounds of base motive? Why do the words 'pot', 'kettle' and 'black' come to mind?

Where is Charles E Hardwidge when you need a comment from Team Brown?

If I was D. Cameron, and if / when DC wins, I'd have Frank Field in my Administration to as my "Think the Unthinkable" GOAT, and have a jolly hard think about which of it I *couldn't* do.

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